Vocal Scholarships

Darlene Guerrie, a Grand Junction native born in 1934, was a 1952 graduate of Grand Junction High School and from an early age loved music and was involved in many areas in the musical community. She served on the Community Concert Board and sang with the Mesa State College Chorale. She discovered the Grand Mesa Chorus of Sweet Adelines in the mid 70’s and spent the next 25 years working in it’s behalf as an innovative leader. Her administrative talents from working for 15 years as an assistant in the Student Body Office at Mesa State, now Colorado Mesa University , led her to actively pursue leadership roles not only on the local level, but also on the Region and International Boards of Sweet Adelines. Darlene’s courageous and valiant fight with cancer ended in 2000. To honor her visionary expertise, knowledge and dedication to the Sweet Adeline organization, the Grand Mesa Chapter awards the annual $1,000 Darlene Guerrie Memorial Scholarship to a Colorado Mesa University student pursuing a degree in music.

SOPHIA WEATHERS GRAND MESA CHORUS 2014 SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Sophia “Belle” Weathers has been awarded the Sweet Adeline vocal music scholarship to CMU, where she is majoring in music education. Her goal is to help young adults expand their creativity and ability to express themselves through music. Besides teaching she hopes to impact the lives of any audiences who watch her performances. After graduating from CMU, she plans to get a masters in vocal performance and go on for a doctorate in conducting.

* An applicant must be a vocal music major at Colorado Mesa University, either an incoming freshman who has been approved for entrance into the program, or a student already attending Colorado Mesa University as a vocal major and have a 2.8 GPA.

*An audition is required, by CD or DVD or a live audition with the Grand Mesa Chorus Sweet Adelines Scholarship Committee. Arrangements may be made with Shirley at 970-255-9419.

* The Scholarship winner is required to sing a solo in one of the Grand Mesa Chorus Sweet Adelines shows.

*Scholarship is available to both male and female students.

*All applications are due by May 5 of each year.

*The applicant must complete a general scholarship application . To access the scholarship application and other information, students can go to the Colorado Mesa University Scholarship Page for Financial Aid.

* There are instructions on this page that tell students how to apply for the scholarships. There is also a link to the student’s MavZone which is where the application is located. Additionally, there is also a link that takes you to the public site where the scholarships are listed.

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Chorus History

2014, Grand Mesa Chorus. Tammy Schler, Director

The Grand Mesa Chorus is a part of the Sweet Adelines International, an organization of nearly 30,000 women world-wide who are dedicated to the promotion and performance of barbershop style harmony – an original American art form.

1966, Grand Mesa Chorus. Judy Hodgson, Director

Our chorus was charted in 1963 with 22 members and has grown to as many as 68 members during the ensuing years.

A diverse group, we come in a variety of sizes and shapes, ranging in age up to over 75 years old: hold divergent political and religious views: are single, married, divorced or widowed; vary widely in education: and hold a variety of jobs. We have one thing in common… WE LOVE TO SING!

1977, Grand Mesa Chorus

We’ll sing for any group that want to hire us and for many who want us free. We even burst into song in restaurants and airports, on buses and in cars, even sometimes in rest area restrooms ( Which have very interesting acoustics) . We donate our voices to help raise funds for many Grand Junction organizations, The Avalon Theater Restoration Fund, Relay For Life, the mens’ barbershop youth chorus and others. We sponsor one of more needy families at Christmas and each year we award one or two $1,000 scholarships to vocal majors at Colorado Mesa University.

1981, Grand Mesa Chorus

We put on an annual show, sometimes in the summer, or fall and sometimes a fun family Christmas show to kick off the Holiday Season! We write and produce our own shows with talent within our own membership.

We compete each year in the Sweet Adelines International, Region 8 competition, usually held in Colorado Spring in the spring of the year. So much fun in the competition and meeting both old and new friends from other Sweet Adelines Choruses.

2013, Grand Mesa Chorus. Tammy Schler, Director

One join Sweet Adelines to sing, and finds it to be so much more – friendship, camaraderie, sisterhood, and learning through association with the diversity of its members. Grand Mesa Chorus has been, and always will be, a source of support and love for each of its members….. through thick and thin!

What is barbershop?

Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. The melody is consistently sung by the lead, with the tenor harmonizing above the melody, the bass singing the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completing the chord.

The melody is not sung by the tenor except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags and codas, or when some appropriate embellishing effect can be created. Occasional brief passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.

Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies whose tones clearly define a tonal center and imply major and minor chords and Barbershop (dominant and secondary dominant) seventh chords that resolve primarily around the circle of fifths, while making frequent use of other resolutions. Barbershop music also features a balanced and symmetrical form, and a standard meter.

The basic song and its harmonization are embellished by the arranger to provide support of the song’s theme and to close the song effectively. Barbershop singers adjust pitches to achieve perfectly tuned chords in just intonation while remaining true to the established tonal center.

Artistic singing in the Barbershop style exhibits a fullness or expansion of sound, precise intonation, a high degree of vocal skill and a high level of unity and consistency within the ensemble. Ideally, these elements are natural, unmanufactured and free from apparent effort.

The presentation of Barbershop music uses appropriate musical and visual methods to convey the theme of the song and provide the audience with an emotionally satisfying and entertaining experience. The musical and visual delivery is from the heart, believable, and sensitive to the song and its arrangement throughout. The most stylistic presentation artistically melds together the musical and visual aspects to create and sustain the illusions suggested by the music.

History of Sweet Adelines International After World War II, barbershop singing was growing increasingly popular for men. In 1945, a small group of women wanted to participate in the chord-ringing, fun-filled harmony that the men were singing. So these women organized “Sweet Adelines in America.” From its humble beginnings in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sweet Adelines International, as it is now called, has grown to a membership of almost 30,000 women in countries all across the globe.

Our Music Staff

“The very roots of the Barbershop style do not come from formally trained musicians, but from average singers with average musical abilities who, with training, have learned many aspects of the Barbershop art form.

“The very roots of the Barbershop style do not come from formally trained musicians, but from average singers with average musical abilities who, with training, have learned many aspects of the Barbershop art form. The Grand Mesa chorus strives for musical excellence through singing together in 4 part accapella harmony, in the Barbershop music style.You will meet new friends while you enjoy your own voice as it contributes to the chorus sound.We provide professional training tapes, CDs, and sheet music to assist you in learning the current music repertoire.Becoming part of this 30,000 member international organization is exciting and filled with opportunities only Sweet Adelines share.

Our Leadership Team

2014 Sponsors

Your Contributions Help!

We love sharing the gift of great music with people of our community. And though we sell tickets at a number of shows each year, we also have a lot expenses.

If you love Grand Mesa Chorus and want to see this amazing group of women thrive, we’d like to invite you to become a sponsor. The additional income helps us reach out to new young talent in our community.

Grand Mesa Chorus is affiliated with Sweet Adelines International, a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Gifts are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law – please check with your tax advisor concerning the tax deductability of your gift.

Hire Us

Chorus Performance information:

We love performing for just about every occasion We can provide quality entertainment for your company sponsored event, church social, family reunion, downtown festivals, public or private parties, surprise singing telegrams for any occasion, club events, or any other situation where musical entertainment is desired. Hire Grand Mesa Chorus as a full show chorus or ask for a small group.

For performance information please call Nola at 858 4839

Grand Mesa Chorus members prepare to sing at Suplizio Field at the June 24th GJ Rockies baseball game. We sang to the crowd in the breeze way before stepping on to the home plate and sang “the Star Spangled Banner”. What a beautiful experience

Grand Mesa Chorus is delighted with the addition of two additional members. Bette Lowenstein welcomes the two young women and presented them with their membership cards and name tags at a recent rehearsal. Right is Myca Bryan, Bette Lowenstein, center and left is Azleigha Bryan. Myca with singing in the lead section and Azleigha is singing with the tenors.

GRAND MESA CHORUS’ 50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA CELEBRATION CONCERT

Another wonderful concert full of four part a capella harmony from the Grand Mesa Chorus Sweet Adelines took place Saturday, September 13th with two performances the same day, 2 PM and 7 PM. Joyful sounds of four part a capella harmony plus fabulous guest performers. Americana folk singer, Ken Dravis, Emily and Jon Pfeifer, 2013 scholarship winner Joel Brown, 2014 scholarship winner Belle

Ken Dravis entertained the crown with his original songs.

Weathers and barbershop quartets added to the evening of musical entertainment. It all took place at the CMU Moss Performance Arts Center, Recital Hall.

First chartered on December 10,

Belle Weather. 2014 Scholarship winner

1963 with 22 members, Grand Mesa Chorus is celebrating fifty years of harmony. Grand Mesa Chapter competed for the first time at the 8th annual Regional Chorus and Quartet Competition on April 30, 1966 in Ulysses, KS, directed by Judy Hodson (director and President).

Tammy Schler is the current certified director and has been in Sweet Adelines for 31 years and 20 years as assistant and frontline director.

Joel Brown, 2013 Scholarship winner

Spare Parts quartet are all members of the Bookcliff Harmony Barbershop Chorus

As a ‘newbie’ in Grand Mesa Chorus, participating in the Rocky Mountain Round-up was another event that only confirms for me that Sweet Adelines are, indeed, the sweetest ladies ever! All of the gals were friendly, affirming and encouraging, positive and lovely singers. Kim Wonders shared an overwhelming amount of information in a day!! She presented multiple examples on how to improve chorus performance, vocal production, choreography and ‘growing’ a chorus. And, she kept us laughing and moving for most of her presentations! It was an invigorating, wonderful weekend!!

Sweet Adelines International, is celebrating 50 years of four part acappella harmony this year. The Chorus celebrated with a free concert full of harmony and fun. In addition, Grand Mesa Chorus Quartet, Cover Charge sang old and new favorites.. Guest artists, The popular King N Trio also sang many of their favorites. Friends and family of the Chorus brought lawn chairs and blankets and enjoyed the four part barbershop songs of the GrandMesa Chorus and Cover Charge plus The King ‘n Trio. Love offerings were appreciated and all proceeds went to the Botanical Gardens.LINDA BARKER VOTED SWEET ADELINES OF THE YEAR!GRAND MESA CHORUS PRESENTS AWARDS AND INSTALLS OFFICERS

Linda Barker was named Sweet Adelines of the year by members of the Grand Mesa Chorus at the annual installation & awards dinner Tuesday, May 20th. The Sweet Adelines of the Year Award is voted upon by all members of the chorus as the chorus member who first and foremost,represents the ideal of The Sweet Adelines. She behaves at all times with a manner of pride in the organization and with everyone whom she deals .

Grand Mesa Chorus is celebrating 50 years of harmony and all chorus members are looking forward to an eventful year with a free concert June 28th at the Botanical Gardens and the annual show, Sept. 13 at the Grand Junction High School.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP AWARDED TO BOBBIE KNOWLES AT A SPECIAL LUNCHEON

Bobbie Knowles is presented a lifetime membership certificate to the Grand Mesa Chorus Sweet Adelines by Chorus Team Leader, Bette Lowenstein. Twenty chorus members meet for this surprise special presentation at The Egg & I on October 18, 2013. Sisterhood, barbershop singing and good food made for a delightful day. Photo by Pamela Hjorteset.

Join the Chorus

Grand Mesa Chorus is a membership organization of female singers, who meet regularly to practice, perform, socialize, and have fun. We currently have 30 singers of all ages, all walks of life, and all parts of the Grand Junction area.

Performance The main purpose of Grand Mesa Chorus is to get out and sing for our community. We sing at annual shows, a number of community events, and at an annual competitions. We are available to sing at your next function or event. If you’re looking for a unique musical experience to liven up your event, please check out our Hire Us section.

Education In addition to sharing our music with others, another great passion of ours is learning more about the art of acapella singing. Vocal instruction is a regular part of chorus rehearsals, and a very important component of the chorus experience. A couple of times a year, we will get coaching from a visiting master in the art of barbershop, where we learn many fabulous tricks of the trade.

Competition In the spring of every year, Grand Mesa Chorus participates in the Region 8 chorus competition . Competitions are a special time for quartets and choruses from our region to come together to sing for each other, and get some constructive feedback from a panel of judges. The winners of the regional competition in both quartet and chorus categories get to travel to International Competition, which is held in the fall in a city selected each year. In 2012, International Competition will be held in Denver.

Quartets Most choruses have a number of members who form their own vocal quartets in addition to singing with the chorus. Grand Mesa Chorus currently is home to a wonderful quartet,Cover Charge and we are very proud of them! Click the quartet tab to learn more about them.

Affiliation Grand Mesa Chorus is a chapter of Sweet Adelines, International, a non-profit organization of approximately 30,000 members in choruses and quartets, worldwide. The Headquarters is in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Women who like to sing and perform are invited to come to any Grand Mesa Chorus rehearsal any Tuesday. We begin rehearsal at 6:30 PM at the Redlands United Methodist Church.